Languages
Languages Gelduran is home to many different languages all vastly different from the next. However, the Civil Races came together and created what is now known as the Common Tongue, in which most books and tomes are written. Over the years the Common Tongue became more and more prevalent and most of the major nations of Gelduran nearly completely abandoned their own language. Elvish is still spoken a lot in the Midlands and amongst Elves, but they speak the Common Tongue fluently. The Dwarves mostly speak the Common Tongue. Only the rich and powerful still occasionally make use of Dwarvish. There are two forms of Dwarvish; High Dwarves spoken by the rich and Low Dwarvish spoken by the common folk. The only things that differentiates the two is pronunciation. The Humans of Ellewall have completely abandoned their old language, called Old Speech. Despite the language no longer being in use it is still often used as names and most of the Old Speech is still recorded in books. The Westenwolds still speak their own language called Óraid Wolden or simply Old Wolden in the Common Tongue. They are however, starting to leave it and are beginning to use the Common Tongue to even speak amongst themselves. Óraid Wolden is still used for names, however. Their are many other small languages from the other races, but far too little is known to be worth a mention. The Elvish Language Elvish was the first language ever created as it was made by the first Elves with the help of the Bright Ones. The Common Tongue was created based off of the Elvish language, and so most words translate literally. For example; Hello, how are you? → Athra, Iddra erru tath? However, some sentences in the Common Tongue are only one word in Elvish. Goodbye, my friend → Abbrasthan Elvish is an easy to learn language for the other races as a sentence in Common Tongue will literally be the same in Elvish, except that the words are replaced with Elvish words. Know the words, and you know the language. There are several forms of Elvish, though most of the other forms are only spoken by the group of Elves that created the language. There is Fellen’Mirath meaning Fallen Tongue which is used by the Dark Elves. There is Móith Athbren meaning Sand Speech. Mirathenne Mirath meaning Ocean Tongue and Iddrage Athbren meaning Frozen Speech. While some words and sentences are known, these languages are spoken only by the groups who made them. Scholars have attempted to learn some of their languages, but only the Sea Elves were open and available to teach them. Basic Elven sentences Where are we? → Abrras na etan? Would you like some food? → Ithrin tath ligan erthis fimerth? My name is …. → Mirth nathen eth….. I am hungry → É alme fimerthia Our capital is Gerindon → Thar cethmin eth Gel’Gallan What is your name? → Hril eth tathe nathen? I was born in Dorrith → É mellran brithain aìn Dorrith There are wolves here → Thil’na wilfain hirth Responses We are south of the King Forest → Etan na silthyn fi thim Elridas Fothenha No, thank you → Nar, orrobrith tath